Women who skip their first breast cancer screening are at a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease, according to new research from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, tracked about 500,000 women who received their first mammogram invitation between 1991 and 2020. Researchers followed them for up to 25 years and found that nearly one in three (32%) did not attend their initial appointment.
Those who missed their first screening were less likely to attend future mammograms, more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, and ultimately had a higher breast cancer mortality rate – 9.9 deaths per 1,000 women over 25 years compared with seven deaths among those who were screened.
The researchers stressed that the difference was due to delayed detection, not a higher incidence of cancer. “First screening non-participants had a 40% higher breast cancer mortality risk than participants, persisting over 25 years,” they wrote.
US experts commenting on the findings said that attending an initial appointment was “far more than a short-term health check”, describing it as a long-term investment in survival, even if no cancer is found.
In England, women are invited for breast screening between the ages of 50 and 71, with the first invitation due by age 53. However, NHS data shows almost one in three eligible women were not up to date with screening as of March 2024.
Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, called the figures “worryingly high” and urged more action to ensure screening is accessible and encouraged.
The research comes as global cancer cases are forecast to rise by 61% in the next 25 years, with annual deaths expected to jump nearly 75% to 18.6 million by 2050.
In more positive news, scientists announced a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research this week. A team led by the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that blocking a protein called SPP1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) could stop the cancer spreading and extend survival, paving the way for future drug treatments.
